Best Insights from the Q& A Session about the 7th House

One of the more popular features here on Skywriter is an open forum where readers ask me questions about a particular house of the astrology chart. A recent edition was devoted to answering questions about the 7th house—the house that describes a variety of enduring partnerships, from traditional marriage to gay unions to business partnerships.

People even find it covers their BFF, unless you’re a teen and your BFFs change every couple of weeks.

As a sample for my newer readers–or for those who never visit the comment sections–here are some of the best questions and answers from that session.

Q: How would you interpret the ruler of the 7th being in the first?

A: The 1st shows our facade or outer appearance that we present to the world, how we try to convince new acquaintances and people who aren’t close to us to like us. Thus, if the ruler of the 7th is there, we might take on a facade much influenced by our lovers or other partners and designed to please the partner.

If we changed partnerships, our facade might shift to mesh with the new one better. Alternatively, we might present ourselves as super-agreeable and relationship-oriented, whether we really are or not. Details about how we presented ourselves, however, would depend on what planet ruled the 7th.

Q: What if the ruler of the 7th is unaspected? Perhaps a nunnery?

A: It would depend on whether there were planets IN the 7th, which would take precedence, and you’d also look at Venus and its aspects.

PS. Going back to my early days as an astrologer, when nuns still wore habits and taught school, I can reassure you that the influence of nuns showed up in the 12th house of my devout Catholic client’s charts.

Q: What would be a high and low expression of the ruler of the 7th placed in the 12th?

A: A high use would be to be a counselor to people who suffer from chronic health or emotional problems or addictions. A low use of the combination would be to be addicted to cheating on a mate or to having secret affairs. (The intrigue of keeping it secret adds to the excitement here and can make it an addiction.)

Q: Are there serious similarities between Pluto-Venus aspects and a 7th house Pluto?

A: Totally! In fact, if Pluto is within 10 degrees of the Descendant (7th house cusp), the person has completed graduate studies in Venus-Pluto patterns.

Q: Why does this house refer to partnerships as well as open enemies, rivals, and competitors?

A: An enemy…let’s say a sworn enemy for life….is as committed to being your enemy and as engaged in the relationship in a negative exchange of energy as a positive partner is in the positive exchange of energy.

Likewise a competitor/rival is engaged deeply with you and wants not just to win the competition, but also to beat YOU personally. And no doubt you are similarly engaged, so it winds up being an important–and probably long-term–relationship of a sort.